NFL Week 15 Roundup: Bills outlast Patriots in shootout

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Josh Allen threw three landing passes, and James Cook ran for 2 TDs and caught one other because the Buffalo Bills rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat New England 35-31 on Sunday, stopping the Patriots from clinching the AFC East title.

Allen completed 19 of 28 for 193 yards. Cook ran 22 instances for 107 yards for the Bills (10-4), who prevented being swept by a division opponent for the primary time since 2019. Buffalo reached 10 wins for the seventh consecutive season.

The Bills overcame a double-digit deficit for the third time this yr after beforehand rallying in opposition to Baltimore (down 15 factors within the fourth quarter) and Cincinnati (down 10).

The Patriots (11-3) misplaced their first division sport of the season and their 10-game win streak ended. They haven’t gained the AFC East since 2019 however nonetheless lead the Bills by one sport with three video games left.

Drake Maye had a pair of landing runs, and TreVeyon Henderson ran for scores of 52 and 65 yards. Henderson completed with 14 carries for 148 yards.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Los Angeles Chargers eradicated the Kansas City Chiefs from playoff competition when Derwin James picked off a go by Gardner Minshew — who had simply taken over for the injured Patrick Mahomes — within the closing seconds to protect a 16-13 victory over the reigning AFC champions Sunday.

Justin Herbert, enjoying by means of a damaged left hand, threw for 210 yards and a landing, and the Chargers (10-4) ensured consecutive 10-win seasons for the primary time since 2006-07 by finishing a uncommon regular-season sweep of Kansas City.

Mahomes was attempting to rally the Chiefs within the closing seconds, finishing a sequence of passes to get throughout midfield by the two-minute warning. But on the subsequent play, he was scrambling towards the Kansas City sideline and throwing the ball away when he was spun to the bottom by defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP clutching his left knee.

Mahomes was taken briefly to the blue damage tent, then helped to the locker room with a towel draped over his head.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence accounted for six touchdowns, together with a career-high 5 passing, and the Jacksonville Jaguars overwhelmed the New York Jets from begin to end in a 48-20 drubbing Sunday.

Lawrence accomplished 20 of 32 passes for 330 yards and didn’t have a turnover for the third consecutive sport. His passer ranking of 136.7 was the perfect of his five-year NFL profession.

He additionally ran for 51 yards and a rating, a 15-yard scramble within the first quarter that helped set the tone. Lawrence rolled left, juked Will McDonald within the backfield after which scampered down the sideline.

Jacksonville (10-4) scored touchdowns on its first three possessions for the primary time since 1998 and topped 40 factors by means of three quarters for the primary time since 2005. It was a drama-free day for the house crew, which reached double-digit victories for simply the second time within the final 18 seasons.

CINCINNATI — Lamar Jackson threw for 2 touchdowns, Kyle Van Noy and Alohi Gilman teamed up for a 95-yard pick-six and the Baltimore Ravens blanked the Cincinnati Bengals 24-0 on Sunday, the primary time Joe Burrow has been shut out in his six-year profession.

Derrick Henry rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries — his sixth sport of 100 or extra this season — because the Ravens (7-7) gained their fourth straight street sport and pulled inside a half-game of Pittsburgh within the AFC North. The Steelers host Miami on Monday evening.

Jackson threw first-half TD passes to Rasheen Ali and Zay Flowers and completed 8-of-12 for 150 yards. It was the primary rating of Ali’s two-year profession.

Cincinnati was eradicated from playoff competition. Burrow — who vented his frustration in regards to the Bengals’ disappointing season earlier this week — was picked off twice as he accomplished 25 of 39 passes for 225 yards. Ja’Marr Chase had 10 receptions for 132 yards.

CHICAGO — Caleb Williams threw two landing passes and the Chicago Bears beat Cleveland 31-3 on Sunday in one of many coldest video games ever at Soldier Field regardless that the Browns’ Myles Garrett moved inside a sack of the NFL’s single-season report.

The Bears (10-4) heated up early on a day when the gametime temperature was 8 levels (-13 C), scoring two first-quarter touchdowns and breaking the sport open with two extra within the third. 

It was simply the type of efficiency they wanted coming off a loss at Green Bay that knocked them from first to seventh within the NFC, with a rematch in opposition to their rivals at dwelling subsequent week looming.

Garrett had 1.5 sacks, giving him 21.5 on the season and leaving him one shy of the report shared by New York Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (2001) and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt (2021). He bought to Williams within the second quarter on a 3rd down on the Cleveland eight, and he and Shelby Harris took down the quarterback early within the fourth. A four-time All-Pro, Garrett has at the very least one sack in eight straight video games and has 17.5 in that span.

PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts rebounded from his worst NFL sport to throw three landing passes, Saquon Barkley had a two-yard landing run and the Philadelphia Eagles snapped a three-game shedding streak with a 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

The Eagles (9-5) had been in a position to get their maligned offence below embattled coordinator Kevin Patullo proper in opposition to the woeful Raiders and at last confirmed indicators of life with a pleasant mixture of play calling in bitter chilly temperatures and topped 21 factors for the primary time in six video games.

Hurts had his moments — that included a shovel go for a rating to Dallas Goedert on a day that began with the sphere blanketed in a number of inches of snow. Hurts additionally hit DeVonta Smith on a 44-yard reception on a drive that stalled within the second quarter and settled for a discipline purpose by Jake Elliott and a 10-0 lead. He pitched a four-yard TD go to Goedert within the third for a 24-0 lead.

Yes, their first three TDs that totalled 10 yards — and a dynamite defensive effort — was sufficient to beat down a Raiders (2-12) crew that misplaced their eighth straight sport and bought an anemic efficiency out of Kenny Pickett in his first begin at quarterback for the injured Geno Smith.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a landing, fellow rookie Jaylin Lane returned a punt 63 yards to the tip zone, and the Washington Commanders ended their season-derailing skid at eight video games by beating the equally woeful New York Giants 29-21 on Sunday.

The solely NFL sport this week with no playoff implications has a far greater bearing on draft positioning. The Giants (2-12) misplaced their eighth in a row, shifting a step nearer to the highest choose, a last-place end within the NFC East and doubtlessly front-office adjustments, with a training search already coming.

New York didn’t have the identical expectation as Washington (4-10), which was coming off an unbelievable run to the convention championship sport in Jayden Daniels’ AP Offensive Rookie of the Year season. Daniels did not play Sunday after aggravating a left elbow damage, so it was Marcus Mariota who quarterbacked the Commanders to their first victory since Oct. 5.

Mariota related with high receiver Terry McLaurin on a 51-yard catch-and-run TD early within the fourth quarter. That was considered one of solely 10 passes Mariota accomplished on 19 makes an attempt for 211 yards, with a fumble.

HOUSTON — C.J. Stroud threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns and the Houston Texans jumped out to an enormous early lead and cruised to a 40-20 victory over the slumping Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The Texans (9-5) have gained six straight video games for the primary time since a nine-game profitable streak in 2018 to enhance their playoff hopes. It’s the sixth straight loss for the Cardinals (3-11), whose final win got here on Nov. 3 in opposition to the Cowboys.

Houston bought going instantly with its quickest rating of the season when Stroud related with Nico Collins on a 57-yard landing strike on the second play of the sport. Collins took the quick throw, escaped two diving defenders at across the 40 and ran untouched into the tip zone for the rating.

The Cardinals fumbled on the following kickoff return and the Texans recovered. They couldn’t transfer the ball and settled for a 30-yard discipline purpose that made it 10-0.